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When one spends over a million ringgit on a car, it can be taken for granted that it will be of the highest quality with the best materials. If it is a sports model, then it would be expected to deliver truly high performance. And where comfort is concerned, that’s a given – with emphasis on the rear accommodation taking precedence over the front (unless it’s a convertible which would usually be driven by the owner).

Bentley’s Azure range, introduced in May last year, goes beyond the realms of just being comfortable. With this range – available for all Bentley models – the wellbeing of the occupants is paramount and not only is there superlative comfort along the way but the occupants can also arrive at their destination in an even better shape, more relaxed than when they left home or office.

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When local production of motor vehicles in Malaysia started in 1967, the vehicles were assembled from parts imported from factories in other countries. The parts came in what are known as completely knocked-down (CKD) packs – just like a Tamiya scale model – and were assembled in the factory.

Some parts – like seatbelts, windscreen glass, tyres and wire harnesses – were supplied by local companies that were established but the larger parts like bodyshells and engines still came from overseas. It was not feasible in the early years to produce the body parts which required huge and expensive presses to stamp the steel panels. These required larger volumes than what the local car market had in the 1960s and 1970s.

When the Malaysian National Car project was started, the idea was to boost volume and with economies of scale, stamping of body panels could be done. This was one of the major investments Proton made in 1984 and it was the first company to make its own body panels for the Proton Saga.

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There are probably times when you’ve been irritated by a car ahead that is moving much slower than other traffic. The car may be in the slow lane to the side but you are caught behind because there is a lot of traffic moving in the other lanes. Some drivers may even be so irritated and create a dangerous situation by tailgating the car ahead, driving right up to the bumper to ‘urge’ the driver to go faster.

There are probably good reasons why the driver is going so slow. He or she may not have confidence even though possessing a driving licence. The car may have some problem that is preventing it from going faster. The person is not feeling well so he is taking it easy. Lots of reasons but drivers behind won’t be aware and only know they are having to drive slowly and are unhappy.

One driver took the initiative to try to let others behind understand why he was going so slowly. He pasted a handwritten message on his bootlid which read: “Sorry xleh laju wife czer” (sorry cannot go fast, wife had czer). For those who are unfamiliar with ‘czer’, it’s a reference to ‘caesarean section’ (c-section) which is an operation done to bring out the baby through a cut made in the abdomen. This is done in the event that a normal delivery cannot be done for various reasons.

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The UX or User Experience for the driver of today’s cars is a very important aspect that interior designers pay a lot of attention to. Not only does it make a difference to motoring pleasure but also has major influence on safety. With the rapid increase in electronic systems and graphic displays, the UX must be as efficient as possible and also intuitive so that it makes life easier, rather than confusing.

When BMW introduced the iDrive system some 20 years ago, it gave the driver a new way to manage what would come to be called the infotainment system on a display panel in the middle of the dashboard. Instead of having an array of switches and buttons on the dashboard to operate various functions, there was a rotary controller which worked somewhat like a computer mouse.

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In earlier years, car companies focussed mainly on their business – primarily sales and aftersales of new motor vehicles. But as they grew bigger and their role as Corporate Citizens became more significant, they also had to do their part for society and the communities they operate. This is done in many different ways – from supporting needy organisations and supporting events to activities that do something to protect the environment.

For UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT), its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities have been diverse and growing in importance has been those related to the environment. This is aligned with the commitment of Toyota Motor Corporation to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, not only for its products but also every aspect of its business operations globally.

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The Sainz family may have been a bit disappointed that Carlos Sainz Junior missed out on the podium at the Bahrain F1 GP last weekend, having been overtaken by BWT Alpine’s Fernando Alonso in the last quarter of the race. But they can still celebrate with Sainz Senior’s team taking their first ever win in the Extreme E all-electric off-road series over the weekend.

The ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team finished ahead of Veloce Racing and Rosberg X Racing (RXR) after a battle over the sands of NEOM in Saudi Arabia during the Desert X-Prix. The crew of Laia Sanz and Mattias Ekstrom dominated the race from start to finish, establishing a comfortable lead as Veloce Racing and RXR fought over the runners-up spot.

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How much is the life of your child worth? Every parent will answer ‘priceless’, of course. Every effort will be made to ensure that this priceless human will be well protected from any kind of harm. And when it comes to travelling in a motor vehicle, that means providing the best protection in the event of an accident.

For small children, specially designed childseats to suit their smaller size have been in use since the early 1960s. Evolving from the designs by Jean Ames and Leonard Rivkin in 1962, childseats have offered better protection and comfort with the use of new materials and structures. Today, there is a wide variety of childseats and international standards to ensure they provide sufficient protection.

For parents who want to give their child the very best protection, babyark, an innovative child safety tech company, has introduced a new childseat for babies (and up to 6 years old) that is very advanced. It is designed and engineered to meet the highest standards of safety using unique impact-absorbing technology, advanced materials including carbonfibres and a comprehensive connected sensor system.

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Back-to-back class victories in the opening 2 rounds of the Idemitsu Super Turbo Championship were a great start to young Malaysian Hayden Haikal’s international racing campaign in Thailand this year. The 18-year-old put in maximum effort as he got the job done and gave the Malaysian Wing Hin Motorsports team its first two victories on its maiden appearance in Thailand.

This is Hayden’s second year competing in Thailand, his first appearance in the Idemitsu Super Turbo Championship, and also the first time that Wing Hin Motorsports is racing in Thailand.

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While electric vehicles (EVs) may be said to have less maintenance requirements compared to vehicles with combustion engines, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) – which have a powertrain comprising both an engine and electric motor – are more complex vehicles due to their electrification. They have many more electronic and electrical systems and a large battery pack.

Thus for PHEV owners, there is the extra cost (which can be high) of replacing such systems in later years. While the vehicle is still new, there is the manufacturer’s warranty to cover replacements but once it is over, then the owner will have to pay for the replacement costs.

This is where it would be a good idea to spend a bit on an extended warranty that takes over after the original warranty ends. Sime Darby Auto Selection (SDAS) offers such a warranty for the pre-owned BMW PHEV models it sells. Called +HYBRID, the programme in collaboration with Guard My Ride (GMR) and RHB Insurance, is the first in the market and only available from SDAS.

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Although activity in the electric vehicle (EV) market in Malaysia has increased substantially in the last year due to the government allowing duty-free importation and sale, with many brands (even new ones) introducing their EV models, we have not heard from Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) which began marketing the world first mass-produced EV – the LEAF – twelve years ago.

Using its own funding, ETCM had taken the initiative to provide information to the public about EVs and the benefit of their zero emissions to the future of the planet. However, the government then was not proactive in addressing climate change until it signed the Paris Agreement in 2015 and made the commitment to become carbon-neutral by 2050. This meant taking various actions, including promoting the use of EVs.

ETCM continued to offer the LEAF, and when it went into the second generation in mid-2019, it began importing the model for sale in Malaysia. However, without the government incentives, its price was high and interest was therefore limited.

The LEAF is still in its second generation and received improvements not so long ago, so ETCM was probably waiting for the updated and better model to be available and it is now ready for sale. With the tax exemption, it is now priced at RM168,888 which is RM20,000 lower than when it was launched in 2019. This would be as low as it can get unless it is assembled locally and would then get additional incentives.

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